single word requests - Adjective for "terrified yet calm and capable"


What is an adjective to describe the duality of a first responder (such as an EMT responding to a terrorist attack) who is terrified for the wounded, yet simultaneously calm, detached, and capable enough to give aid?



Answer



The following don't explicitly satisfy the terrified criteria; they are instead words that represent calmness under pressure. Terror could be construed to be a form of pressure.


Equanimity is defined as:



evenness of mind especially under stress



Its adjective would be equanimous.


Its synonym, sangfroid, is defined as:



self-possession or imperturbability especially under strain



While the dictionary does not note its adjectival properties, you can probably use it as one. A sangfroid calm is a reasonably common phrase.


Unflappable is similarly defined:



having or showing calmness in a crisis



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